


Extraordinary

by soups



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-19
Updated: 2014-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-18 00:53:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2329271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soups/pseuds/soups
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bokuto is a sunrise, a beast, a role model, a storm, a child, an ace and a captain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Extraordinary

**Author's Note:**

> Happy birthday, Bokuto!

“Ah, please,” Washio Tatsuki said, standing up and offering the elder lady in front of him a seat. Her eyes sparked a small, delighted surprise as she bowed a little to show her gratitude, and set herself on where Washio had seated before. She smiled and thanked the boy for his kindness, to which he replied with, “It was no problem at all.”

The exchange became a conversation in no time—that uniform, are you a Fukurodani student? What grade are you in? Are you in a club? Oh, my son also did volleyball in high school! Washio was always thankful to have someone to talk to on the bus, otherwise he'd just stare at the traffic outside for fourteen stops.

The bus pulled its brakes as it arrived at its next stop, the cold air wheezing in when the door opened. A kindergarten girl and an elementary school boy got in with their mother, hands linking with each other. The girl had a smile when she entered, but that vanished the second she saw Washio’s face. It hurt him a little, especially when he saw her tugging her mother’s jacket sleeve to walk further in the back in the bus, away from him.

Washio didn’t know why, but children were afraid, or more like really  _frightened_  of him; when they saw his face, they’d look like they’d cry (one time one really  _had_  cried). But as if the higher power was trying to balance it off, elderlies were really fond of him, he could find himself conversing with one several times a day. Like right now.

“It’s really starting to get chilly lately,” the lady suddenly said while adjusting her hat. “I hope the autumn and winter won’t be as cold as last year.”

“I hope so as well, last year’s snow was… quite something,” he replied, nodding, a memory flashed by his mind. “There was so much snow that the school was having a hard time shoveling. Once we had to do it ourselves just so we could get out of the clubhouse.”

“But we played snowball in the middle so it was fun!” Washio turned his head in surprise as he heard a familiar voice and felt a familiar pat on the shoulder. “Right, Wasshi?”

“Bokuto!”

The lady peered at the newcomer, her expression amused. “Is this your friend?”

“Yeah, we’re in the same club.”

“Yup! I’m the ace and captain!” Bokuto added, his face proud. The smile on the lady’s face was wider than before.

“Ace and captain!” the lady repeated Bokuto’s words, looking excited for some reason. “Well, Mr. Ace and Captain, you have a very interesting hair.”

“Thank you! I had to work extra hard this morning so it’ll stand well for the rest of the day even on a windy day like this!” he remarked, his hand pulling a V sign. “You have a lovely hair yourself!”

“My, my, you sure know how to praise,” she giggled. “Thank you.”

As Bokuto and the lady carried on chatting, Washio peered to the kindergarten girl in the back, who was now looking at Bokuto. She was eyeing his every move—when he talked, when he laughed, when he gestured something, when he accidentally bumped into the person behind him and apologized—and she chuckled every time he did. It was like she forgot that she was afraid of the guy beside Bokuto a minute ago.

That was Bokuto Koutarou, coming in like it was the most natural thing in the world and lighting up everything in one second, like a sunrise radiating every morning it rises on.

 

* * *

 

After a booooring mathematics class, it was finally time for gym! Komi loved gym class, the subject did a lot to pull up his overall grade every semester since grade school. Not to mention, this year he’d get to see the cute Wakana-chan from their next-door class for one whole period. Whoo! Gym banzai!

“Komiyan, you’re always pumped up for gym class huh~” Komi’s club and classmate Sarukui observed, and the shorter replied with a somewhat smug smile,

“Of course! I get to see the cutest girl for one and a half hour, which man wouldn’t be pumped up?”

The two classes gathered, some students complained that it was too chilly to be outside (“It’s still September!” “But Sensei, it’s really windy today!”). A minute and two dozens complains later, the teacher finally complied and told everyone they only needed to run ten laps that day then they were free to do anything. Some still protested that ten was too much, they shut up when the teacher made them choose between that or 1-km swimming.

Ten laps, this was gonna be easy, Komi thought. In fact, he was sure he’d be the first to finish. Then Wakana-chan would be impressed and they’d live happily ever after!

The were ready on the line and the second the teacher blew the whistle, the students began jogging at the same time. Komi was probably the only one most pumped about this so it would be a piece of cake!

“Hey heeeey, Komiyan!”

Except that he forgot there was him in his neighboring class.

“Ou, Bokuto,” he waved to the grinning boy. “Chilly day today, huh?”

“Huh? Nah, it’s as hot as always!” the captain said, and Komi laughed. He rarely, if ever, heard Bokuto complained about the cold. Konoha had suspected that he had so much heat and passion in him that he was unable to feel chilly, and the libero saw no reason to disagree. “Hey, whaddaya say we go for a race and see who finishes first, hm? Loser buys lunch?”

Oh, here it was. Gym class with Bokuto was never boring.  _Anything_  with Bokuto was never boring. “Are you sure you could afford it, Bokuto? I might be small but I could easily eat three bowls for lunch, especially after gym.”

“Oooh? Full of ourselves, aren’t we?” Bokuto smirked, and Komi did the same. “Y’know I’m not called an ace ‘coz of nothing!”

“Do you know how proud us liberos are with our feet?”

Both had a grin on their faces and, as if an invisible second whistle was blown, both accelerated their speeds at the same time. They might’ve heard Sarukui from behind saying something like, “Guys, this a ten-lap run so you should pace yourself…” but who cared about pacing when lunch was at stake?

Well, both of them should have. They were now at their eighth laps and despite the cold, autumn wind, their faces were reddening like freshly-cooked lobsters, and the time between their breath intakes shortened by the seconds.

“Heeeey Komi…-kun… Look at your… face… Maybe it’s…. about time you… give up?”

“What are you… talking about… Bokuto-kun… Maybe you’re actually… looking at a... mirror…?”

“You both look horrible,” a passing Sarukui said. Komi frowned.

“I know… you’re not actually smiling but… hearing you… saying that with that face… really pisses me off…” Komi struggled pronouncing his word. Sarukui tittered, patting the shorter in the back.

“Well then, this annoying person will finish his seventh lap now. Who knows he might be the one winning this race in the end?”

“Saruuuuuu!!” both Bokuto and Komi groaned as they brought their thighs higher and fasten their paces yet again. Sarukui just shook his head when they ran past him again, this time he yelled,

“Don’t die, you two~!”

Eighth and ninth laps passed, they were still tied at the beginning of their tenth lap, and now the real sprint began. Though both were practically gasping for air, determination (and three bowls of the school’s famous katsudon) were the only thing seen from the gleam of their eyes.

“Well then Komiyan, I’ll be off!”

“Like I’ll let you!”

Stamina was Komi’s strongest point, he knew it was Bokuto’s as well, but they’d been running with all their might right off the bat and truthfully Komi struggled in every step he made now. But there were only 300 meters left and boy he could do it, Komi would do it, for Wakana-chan and katsudon!

250… 200… 150 meters… Just a bit m— wait, where was Bokut—

Komi looked ahead when he couldn’t find the ace beside him. Wait whoa, when did he get ahead of him!? Dammit! Move, feet!, he ordered, but before he knew it, their gaps were getting wider. Uohhhhhh, no no no no, he wouldn’t lose, especially in a speed showdown! He wouldn’t—

“Hey hey heeeeey! I’m the best!”

Dammit, Komi laughed in his mind as he entered the finish line ten seconds after the white-haired boy. He should have known, Bokuto near the finish line was a beast, just like every time he was given a toss in a game. The look on his eyes changed and, for a few seconds, the happy-go-lucky boy became the most frightening player on court.

Man, Komi should work on his spirit more. Now he’d lost half of his lunch money for the day.

 

* * *

 

Lunch time was Onaga Wataru’s, as many other students’, favorite time of the day. To add to the fact that he was an always-hungry teenage boy, he now had a whole lot more physical training than he did in middle school, turning him now into an always- _starving_  teenage boy.

He had sandwiches his mother packed for him earlier but boy that was more like a light snack than lunch. He stood by the cafeteria line and was pondering whether to get ramen or gyudon when a voice called him from the table area, “Onaga!!”

Oh! It was his club seniors. “Bokuto-sempai! Komi-sempai! Akaashi-sempai!”

“Come here when you get your food, we’re saving you a seat!”

“Ah, thank you very much!!”

Now, now, his kind seniors had saved him a seat, choose quickly, Onaga Wataru, ramen or gyudon…!

“Oh, you’re getting curry rice? That looks good~” Bokuto oogled Onaga’s tray as the younger walked to their table.

“Yes, I was wondering whether to get ramen or gyudon, but then I smelled curry and before I knew it I ended up with one, ahahaha…”

“Hmmmm~ Katsu curry…” Bokuto’s eyes were still fixed on the food in front of Onaga, even when he was taking a spoonful of the lunch into his mouth. Everyone could see the drool from the corner of Bokuto’s mouth. Akaashi frowned a little.

“Stop looking at people’s food like that, Bokuto-san, that’s impolite.”

“Yeah, and think of my feelings who paid for your katsudon!” Komi added, pointing to the bowl of cutlet rice on Bokuto’s tray.

“It’s okay, really! Bokuto-sempai, would you like a bite?”

“Really, Onaga?! Then I won’t hesitate…!”

Akaashi sighed. “Onaga, don’t spoil him too much.”

“No, no, it’s really okay!” he said, scratching the back of his head though it wasn’t scratchy, chortled sheepishly. He then looked at the senior who was munching on his lunch, putting the spoon back and looking a bit lonely for one second, then going back to eat his own lunch, and beaming and saying something about katsudon is number one. Before he knew it, Onaga chuckled. Komi and Akaashi raised one of their respective eyebrows.

“You sure look happy today, ‘sup?”

“Ah, sorry, it’s nothing!” he laughed, a bit embarrassed. “It’s just that… It’s always great to see Bokuto-san so full of life! Like, Bokuto-san always enjoys the present so much and it makes me smile. Sorry if I’m being rude…”

“Onagaaaaa!” Bokuto batted his eyebrows, his expression touched. “That’s right, life is to be enjoyed! That’s my life motto!”

“Last week you said your life motto is to always drink milk after bath…”

“Akaashi! A man can have many mottos in life! That’s how life is!”

“Bokuto-sempai! So cool!” the freshman said, his eyes were practically sparkling. “You’re really my role model!”

“Role mo—” Komi widened his eyes as if someone just told him Wakana-chan was getting married.

“Yes! I want to be more like Bokuto-sempai from now on! You’re always so cool on court, and you’re always having fun! I think that’s the most important thing in life!”

“Ohohoho, you have good eyes, Onaga!! If it’s you, I’m sure you’ll grow up to be as awesome as I am!”

Laughters continued to ensue between the senior and junior, while Komi and Akaashi sighed on the side and quietly prayed for that to never happen, because one Bokuto at a time was more than enough.

 

* * *

 

Ah, he’d done it, Sarukui ouched as he sprang with one foot to the school infirmary. He sprained his left foot at practice a week earlier and, although it was almost healed, the doctor told him to not push himself so much yet. Well, he hadn’t actually planned to, but seeing Komi and Bokuto earlier today somehow made him pace faster than he should have, resulting in the pain he was experiencing now. Ouch...

“Excuse me, I’m looking for some pain-killers…”

“Oh, come on in,” the school’s doctor welcomed him and let him sit on a chair near her. After asking for his name and class, she continued on asking, “What happened with your feet?” Sarukui answered in a uselessly complete detail, while the doctor nodded then shook her head throughout the story. She got up from her seat when Sarukui finished, then instructed, “Lie down for a bit while I get you some ice. Can you walk by yourself?”

“Ah, no, I’m just here for some pain-kil—”

“No, you, bed, now.”

“Saruuuuu!!” Both people in the room turned their heads in surprise, only to find a panicked spike-haired boy on the door. “Are you okay!? I was passing while going to the toilet and saw you inside…!”

“Oh, Bokuto. I’m okay, it’s just the sprain I got last week—”

“WHAT that’s not okay!! It’s been a week and you’re not healed yet!? Go to the infirmary!!”

“I  _am_  in the infirmary—”

“Get a doctor to check it!!”

“Sensei _is_  checking my foot—”

“Bokuto, you’re disturbing my patient,” the doctor cut, and Sarukui didn’t even bother to ask why she knew Bokuto because well he was Bokuto and  _everyone_  knew Bokuto. “He’ll be fine.”

“But—”

“I’ll be fine!” Sarukui repeated the doctor’s words. “And Bokuto, didn’t you say you were going to the bathroom?”

“Bath— oh crap!” he cringed as he remembered his duty. “Don’t push yourself okay Saru! I’m leaving him to you, Sensei!”

“That’s what I’m gonna do even without you telling me!” the doctor said then sighed as the sounds of Bokuto’s steps vanished into the corridor. “What’s with him, why is he always coming and going like some sort of hurricane.”

Seriously, Sarukui laughed in his mind. Coming in on a quiet, peaceful day, disrupting it with his loud words and actions, then going away like nothing happened; Bokuto was really the epitome of a storm.

Well, he didn’t dislike this particular storm, though, Sarukui thought, a smile hanging on his lips.

 

* * *

 

Seemed like it was going to rain, Akaashi Keiji thought as he looked at the grey clouds outside. Well, the weather report had said there’d been a 60% chance of rain that day so it was no wonder, and of course he’d brought an umbrella with him.

Probably someone hadn’t, though.

“Bokuto-san, I hope you remember that the coach wants to have a meeting with us before practice. Do I need to pick you up?” Akaashi typed while putting his indoor shoes into his locker then put his sneakers on the floor. He’d wait one more minute before going inside and picking his senior up, he thought, but thankfully loud running steps already resounded from the corridor twenty seconds later.

“Akaashi!” the running boy yelled and beamed as he saw Akaashi.

“Don’t run in the corridors, Bokuto-san.”

“Don’t be so stiff, Akaashi!” he laughed, and the younger sighed. Bokuto then proceeded to happily skip to his locker while humming a random song he’d probably heard in the radio some time today. Akaashi swore he’d heard it before, but he couldn’t put a title on it, hmm... Oh well. “Oh, look at the sky! Seems like it’s gonna shower today!”

“Yes, the weather report did say so this morning,” Akaashi affirmed. “Did you bring an umbrella, Bokuto-san?”

“I didn’t! But that’s okay!” Bokuto said, tying his shoes. “Going home in the rain is fun too!” Oh boy.

“Don’t do that, Bokuto-san. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry, I have a great immune system so I won’t!” Bokuto then leaped—Akaashi swore he just  _leaped_ —up from the floor after he was finished with his shoelaces. “Don’t you want to try too, Akaashi? It’s fun!”

The sophomore looked at the genuine smile and starry eyes in front of him, a face without a care in the world. Onaga was right; Akaashi, too, had never seen a person enjoying the present more than Bokuto Koutarou. The man always lived in and for the moment, he immediately felt the need to want something when his eyes first caught a glimpse of it, he got genuinely excited for the smallest joy he could find, he was like…

A child.

Akaashi chuckled, out loud, apparently, because Bokuto looked confused. “Why are you laughing, Akaashi!?”

“It’s nothing,” the sophomore replied, his lips still curving a small smile. “Sorry I can’t accompany you going home in the rain though. Unlike you, I catch colds, so I need to be careful.”

“Hmm? Is your immune system bad, Akaashi? Do you eat properly?!”

“That’s not it, Bokuto-san. You know there’s a saying, fools don’t catch cold.”

Bokuto yelled a loud “AKAASHI!” afterward, Akaashi smiled some more, and they began their peaceful walk to the clubhouse.

 

* * *

 

Konoha Akinori stared outside the gym window, sighing. Darn, it sure was pouring, he thought while tossing with the volleyball in his hands and catching it again. He didn’t bring an umbrella that day, so he hoped it’d stop by the time practice was over.

Two claps echoed inside the room and the coach came; the manager, Akaashi, then Bokuto followed from behind. Everyone immediately gathered around. The coach announced their next practice match, everyone yelled an, “Understood!” when he finished, then he told them to begin warming up as practice was starting. Konoha yawned. Damn, this weather made him so sleepy, he felt like he could slee—

“Hey heeeey, Konoha!” Okay, never mind, there was someone whose voice would always wake him up—something he dreaded in summer camps when they had to sleep in one room together, but he was thankful of right now. ”Pair with me for warm up?”

“Sure,” he replied, putting the ball on the floor and rolled it toward the manager. “Sorry, please take care if it!” he said, and the manager gave him an okay sign.

“Did you hear? The cafeteria will have a new menu next week! I wonder what it is.”

“Seriously? Man, they have karaage but not tatsutaage, so I hope that’s gonna be it.”

“Whaaat? There’s nothing really new if they only change the flour!”

“Hey, that’s rude! Karaage and tatsutaage have really different texture and flavor! Not that I don’t like karaage, but tatsutaage is better.”

“Yeah, but they’re both fried chicken.”

“But they’re different!”

“Hey, the two of you over there, less talking, please.”

“Ah, sorry coach!”

Konoha was actually a much calmer person than this, but for some reason, this was how he always got when he was with Bokuto. It was like Bokuto’s childish side was drawing him in, and he knew he wasn’t the only one experiencing this. He didn’t really mind, but it often led to them being scolded by the people around them, the coach included.

The practice went as usual—starting out with serving, then receiving, and finally Konoha’s favorite: spiking. Half of the team was at the other side of the net, ready to block, and Akaashi and their reserve setter ready to toss them some good balls.

“Hey Konoha, wanna count who scores more spikes?”

“Bokuto, you never get tired of challenging people, huh,” Komi teased, laughing. “Always looking for an opponent. He already beat me in running and got me to pay for his lunch today! Was that not enough?”

“I can’t help it, it’s more exciting that way!”

“Well, can’t say that I don’t understand,” Sarukui pinched in, smiling. “You really get pumped up when you have opponents.”

“See! So what do you say, Konoha?”

“Ah? Hmm. Alright then, I guess,” Konoha shrugged. “Don’t come crying to Akaashi when you lose, okay.” Akaashi frowned.

“Wait, why am I being dragged into this…”

The spiking practice was only halfway done but Bokuto was already winning, of course. Konoha knew he would never beat Bokuto in a spiking match. The dude was the fifth best spiker in the  _country_ , dammit, how on earth was he supposed to beat him?

Konoha knew, he wasn’t bad. In fact, he was good, so good that he would probably be an ace if only he’d attended another school. But at Fukurodani, they had Bokuto, and worse, on the same grade as him, so there was no way he would be an ace in that team.

He wasn’t bitter about it, no, but he would be lying if he said he’d never wanted that title. “Ace.” It sounded so cool. Oh, you play volleyball? Yes, I’m the ace of my team! Man, he'd really love to try saying that. Except that if he had been the ace, he would probably never do say it, he wasn’t like Bokuto who always boasted to everyone he met on the street (Konoha heard from Washio that he did just that to an elderly lady earlier this morning).

“It’s coming, Bokuto-san.”

“Ou!!”

Look at that jump. For a volleyball player, Bokuto was averagely tall, but he sure could jump. And that, combined with his terrifyingly powerful spikes that could go in whatever angle, Konoha wondered how terrifying the other four spikers ranked on top of him would be.

“One more!” Bokuto yelled, and Akaashi nodded. Look at him jump. Look at him  _fly_. Ah, dammit. Konoha had used to question why that loud person was chosen as their ace, he'd used to want to protest to the coach, but now he wouldn’t want it any other way.

 

* * *

 

Bokuto Koutarou pouted as he put the last ball in the court to the storage room. No one remembered about today—!! Even some girls from other classes dropped by to greet him (heh, as expected from Bokuto!). But his clubmates…!

And wow, as if it that wasn’t enough, they’d all left the gym before he noticed anything! Dammiiiiit!! Where was everyone?! The only one left was their manager, who was doing a check on all the equipments they used today.

“Where is everyoneeeee!?” he asked, half-yelling, and the manager got so surprised she almost dropped her pen and papers.

“Errr… clubhouse I suppose…?” she answered, her face not entirely sure. “Maybe everyone wants to go home as fast as possible since the rain stopped for now, but we don’t know when it’ll start pouring again…”

“And leaving me alone? Ohhhh man,” he said, almost sulking. He would remember this, you know! Man, he hoped at least some members would be there when he got to the clubhouse so he could scold them. “Ah, are you done checking yet?”

“Ah, yes! Wait, I’ll close up and walk you.”

“‘Kay!”

Two minutes later, after rechecking the lock and everything else, they were on their way to the clubhouse. Bokuto was still moping. Last year they all remembered! They even threw a party, how could they forget this year?! Wasn’t it weird that  _no one_  remembered?! Wasn’t it—

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!”

The wing spiker stopped all his movements, surprised by the sudden chorus and confetti showering him as he pushed the house’s door open. Uh wait, what…

“Hey Bokuto, what are you so quiet about, that’s not like you!” Komi giggled, lightly punching Bokuto’s right arm.

“Bokutooo? Are you there?” Sarukui grinned, patting the birthday boy’s head.

“Hmm? Could it be that he’s so happy that he can’t find any word?” Konoha smirked. “It’s okay, we understand, take your ti— whoah!” Bokuto didn’t let him finish his sentence as he jumped to the blonde with tears running down his cheeks.

“Konohaaaaaa! Everyoneeeeee! I thought you all forgoooootttt!”

“Hey, get away from me, your— Don’t use my shirt to wipe your snot! That’s gross!”

“And that is why I said I wanted to stand as far away from the door as possible, Konoha-san.”

“Akaashi, you…! If you knew this would happen you should’ve told me…!”

“Well, well, that’s half your fault too, Konoha, you’ve known him for 3 years yet you still couldn’t predict this would happen.”

“Shut up, Washio. Here, here, Komiyan, pass.”

“Komiyaaan!!”

“Whoa you’re the worst, Konoha! Don’t get close to me, Bokuto, I’ve changed to my clean clothes! Onaga, tag!”

“I— Huh?!”

“You said you wanted to be like him right? Here, I don’t know—study his behavior or something!”

“Onaga! Don’t tell me you’re gonna pass me away like the others!!”

“Eh? Ah? Ah, umm, Sempai—”

“Bokuto-san please stop right there. If you chase them around any more than this you’ll knock the cake.”

“Cake?! There’s cake?!” Bokuto’s face teary face lighted up like a kid with a new toy.

“Yes, and there’s food too.”

“Whoa! You’re right! Awesome! Thanks a lot guys!” Bokuto said, his tears had stopped but there were still traces of them in his cheeks. Look at all this food! And the cake! They didn’t forget! “I’m sorry I’ve doubted you!” He paused for a bit, and with the brightest beam he added, “I love you all!”

A silence fell in the previously cheerful room as everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the birthday boy.

“...What the hell,” Konoha was the first to break the silence, pushing the back of Bokuto’s head while the white-haired voiced a quiet “ouch”. “It’s amazing that you can say that with a straight face.”

“Well, that’s Bokuto for you,” Komi laughed.

“Yep, our captain,” Sarukui nodded.

“Sempai is really cool…!” Onaga cheered.

“I’m not sure if this is cool but it’s definitely Bokuto,” Washio smiled.

“Yeah. Happy birthday again, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, curving a small smile. Bokuto was about to burst into tears again when his junior quietly added, “Thanks for being our captain, we’re glad to have you.”

Look at what you’d done, Akaashi. Now nothing could stop Bokuto’s tears. Except maybe cake.

 

_And I'm glad to have you all as my teammates._

 

 

 


End file.
